Stapling machine



Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,184

E. H. MICHENER STAPLING MACHINE Filed August 23, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1IN VEN TOR Jwwweww MW- '3.

A TTORN Sept. 28 1926.

E. H. MICHENER STAPLING MACHINE Filed August 23, 1924 4 Sheets Sheet 5 i7 2 INVIISNTOR: gluon-d. k Y

j :ATTORN;

Sept. 28 1926.

E. H. MICHEN ER S'IAPLING MACHINE Filed August 23, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 42a 9 INVENTOR;

. and the combinations of I inachlne embodying machine in differentpositions thereof dur-' Patented Sept. 2a, 1926.

ELWOOD H. MICHENER, OF WOODLYNNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE TO ACME STAPLECOMPANY, or CAMDEN,

NEW JERSEY, A GOR PORA'I'ON OF NEW JERSEY STAPLIN G MACHINE.

Application filed August 23, 1924. Serial No. 783.815.

This invention relates to improvements in staple setting machines.

An object of the invention is to provide novel, simple and efiicientmeans for actuatin the staple driver and for moving the stap e supplyingand guiding devices to and from the stapling position; another object ofthe invention is to provide a novel and advantageous means forpreventing the buckling of the staple legs durin the staple settingoperation; and another 0 ject of the invention is to provide new andimproved means for supporting and for actuating the staple clinchingdevices.

With the foregoing and related objects in view, my invention consists ofthe elements them hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a front view of a stapling my invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof omitting certain small parts shown inother larger views.

Figure 3 is a side view partly in section, of the upper portion of themachine, showing' the parts in the normal position.

Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the Tipper portion of the machine,partly in section and omitting certain parts, showing parts of the ingthe stapling operation.

Figure 6 is a top view of the machine.

Figure 7 is a sectional detail, as seen from the front of the machine,showing the work supports and a part of the frame of the machine.

Figures 8 and 9 are horizontal sections through the machine on lines 8-8and 99, of Fig. 5, respectively.

Figure 10 is a front view of the pivoted member carrying the stapleguiding and driving devices, with the front plate and other partsremoved and showing the lever which actuates the staple driver insection.

Figures 11 and 12 are vertical sections through the pivoted member andparts carried thereby, Fig. 10, respectively.

' Figure 13 is a horizontal section through the pivoted member and partscarried thereby, on line 13-13 of Fig. 11.

on lines 1111 and 1212 of to the bar 25 extending lugs 5,

of parts 6 of a saddle-back I work-supporting table 7 which isdetachably secured to frame casting 2 by screws 14 extending through thelugs 5 and screwed into The ends of the table 7 are provided withlaterally extending lugs 15 below the top thereof, and seated on thehorizontal bottom surfaces of lugs 16 which areformed on and extenddownwardly from the end portions of a horizontal work-su porting table17 having a slot 18 therein whlch receives the top of the saddle-backtable 7 when the horizontal table 17 is in place upon. the lugs 15. Thehorizontal table 17 is detachably secured to the saddleback table 7 byscrews 19 which extend through openings in the lugs 15 and are screwedinto the lugs 16.

The central portion of the table 7 has a slot or opening 20 therein inwhich are arranged two staple clinching arms 21 which are pivoted to thetable 7' The arms 21 are supported in the position shown in Fig.

to act as an .anvi' for the preliminary clinching of the staple legswhen they are driven against the arms,

arms 21 are raised by mechanism hereinafter described to effect thefinal clinching of the ing 2. One side of the member 22 is grooved,forming a magazine 24 for staples, and the magazine is provided with alongitudinallyextending guiding rib or bar 25 for receiving and guidingthe staples 26 into a channel 27 which extends up and down transverselyand which is formed by the forward end wall of the bar 25 blocks 28 and29, one 29 of which is secured to the member 22 by screws, as shown inand, thereafter. the

and by two Fig. 12, and the other 28 of which is held between the block29 and a front plate 30 secured to the forward end of the member 22. Thelower ends of the blocks 28 and 29 form a nose 31 which extendsdownwardly from the member 22 and through which the channel 27 extends.The lower end of the channel 27 is open and the channel is adapted to bebrought substantially into vertical alinement with the staple clinchingarms 21 when the member22 is moved on its pivot 23 to the position shownin Fig. 4.

The staples 26 are fed forwardly on the iding bar 25 toward and againstthe front wall 32 of the channel 27 by a suitable follower 33 whichembraces and is slidably fitted to the guiding bar 25 and which isattached to one end of a spring 34. The,spring 34 extends from thefollower 33 to and around a pulley 35 and through an opening in themember 22 to a lug on the opposite side of the member 22 to which theother end of the spring is attached. The spring 34 acts to move the rowof staples 26 toward and against the wall 32. The distance between thewall 32 and the forward end of the bar 25 is equal to the thickness of astaple.

A staple driver in the form of a plate 36 is fitted to slide in thechannel 27 toward and from the clinching arms 21. The staple driver 36is secured to and it extends downwardly from a bar 37 which is fitted toslide within an upwardly extending limb 38 on the forward end of themember 22.

During the staple setting operation hereinafter described, the bar 37 ismoved down and up to reciprocate the staple driver 36 within the channel27; and at each downward stroke of the driver 36 from the position shownin Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the lower end thereof engages the foremoststaple of the row 26 thereof fed against the wall 32 and drives thestaple downwardly through the channel 27.

The bar 37 is pivotally connected to the forward end of an arm 39 of 'alever 40 which is fulcrumed, at 41, on the member 22 and which includesa rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 42 hereinafter referred to.The forward end of the lever arm 39 is bifurcated and embraces the limb38 of the member 22 and it is pivotally connected to the bar 37 by a pinor screw 43 which extends through an opening in the bar 37 and throughvertical slots or openings 44 in the sides of the limb 38.

The lever arm 39 is raised relatively to the member 22 to raise the bar37 and staple driver 36 within the channel 27 by a spring 45 whichencircles a rod 46. The upper end portion of the rod 46 slides throughan opening in a lug the lower end of the rod 46 is seated in a socket ina lug 48 on the member 22. The

47 on the lever arm 39 and spring 45 acts between a collar 49 on the rod46 and the lug 47 on the arm 39 to raise the lever arm 39, and theupward movement thereof relatively to the member 22- is liniited by theengagement of the pivot pin 43 with the upper end walls of the slots 44in the limb 38.

It will now be understood that the lever arm 39 may be depressedrelatively to the member 22 against the action of the spring 45 toactuate the staple driver 36, and. that normally the spring 45 holds thepivot pin 43 in engagement with the top walls of the slots 44, so thatthe lever 40 and member 22 may be moved as a unit from the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4 and back again.

The lower end of the downwardly extending arm 42 of the lever 40 isconnected to a toggle-joint 50 comprising two arms 51 and 52 centrallypivoted, at 53. The rearward end portion of the toggle arm 52 ispivoted. at 54. to the lower end of the lever arm 42, and the forwardend portion of the toggle arm 51 is pivoted. at 55, to an arm or lever56, presently described. The central portion of the toggle-joint 50 ispivotally connected, at 53, to the upper end of a link bar 57 whoselower end is pivoted, at 58. to a foot lever 59 which is fulcrumed, at60. on a rod or shaft extending between and scoured to the lowerportions of the side frames or legs 3. The arm 56 to which the forwardend of the toggle joint 50 is connected is pivoted. at 61, to thecasting 2 and it is provided with a rearward extension 62 which isconnected by a link 63 to the upper end of a helical spring 64. Thelower end of the spring 6% is connected to the foot lever 59 y a link65. The spring 64 tends to more the lower portion of the arm 56forwardly. and the forward movement of the arm 56 is limited by anadjustable head 66 screwed on to a bolt 67 and engaging the lowerportion of the arm 56 through which the bolt (37 freely extends. Thebolt 67 is carried by a bracket 68 arranged between the side frames 3and having alined trunnions 69 pivoted therein.

The spring 64 holds the arm 56 against the head 66 so that the axis ofthe pivot 5 of the forward end of the toggle-joint 5 remains fixedduring the operation of the machine in setting staples. as will behereinafter described. The spring 6t also CXQllr'. an upward pull on thefoot lever 59. link bar 57 and central pivot of the togglejoint 50,causing the toggle-j int to draw the lever arm 42 forwardly until iteugagc= e stop lug 70 on the frame casting 2 and limits the upwardmovement of the foot lever 59, link bar .57, toggle-joint pivot 53.lever arm 39 and pivoted member T has the parts iust referred to areheld by the spring 64 normally in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The staple clinching arms 21 hereinbefore referred to rest normally uponthe ,top of a. vertically-arranged elongated plate '71 which is slidablyfitted within the limb 4 of the frame casting 2 to be moved verticallytherein. The upper end portion of the plate 71 has outwardly-extendinprojections 72 thereon which rest upon t e top of the limb 4 and supportthe plate 71. The lower end portion of the plate 71 is connected to theforward end portion of the arm 7 3 of a lever 74 which isfulcrumed onthe pin forming the forward pivot 55 of the toggle-joint 50. The sidesof the forward end portion of the lever arm 73 have laterally-extendingribs 74 which are embraced by the bottom corner portions of the plate 71as a suitable means to connect the plate 71 and lever arm 73 to causethem to be raised and lowered together and to cause the plate 71normally to support the lever arm 73. The rearwardly extending arm 75 ofthe lever 74 is arranged beneath a part 76 of the toggle arm 51butspaced therefrom when the parts are in the normal position shown inFig. 3, so that when the toggle arm 51 is lowered to the position shownin Fig. 5, the part 76 will engage the lever arm 75, and, thereafter thefinal downward movement of the toggle arm 51 will cause the part 76thereof to operate the lever arm 75 to raise the plate 71 and therewiththe staple clinching, arms 21 to effect the final clinching of thestaple, as will be presently described.

The work, indicated at 77, to be stapled is placed upon the table 17, asshown in Figs. 3, 4 and The foot lever 59 is then depressed against theaction of the spring 64 to efi'ect the setting of a staple in the work77. During the initial downward movement of the foot lever 59, the linkbar 57 pulls the central pivot 53 of the toggle-joint 50 down from thenormal position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby operatingthe lever 40 tomove it and the member 22 as a unit on the pivot 23 to move the member22 down to the position shown in Fig. 4 or until the nose 31 strikes thework 77 and prevents further downward movement of the member 22. Thecontinued depression of the foot lever 59 now moves the central togglepivot 53 down to the position shown in Fig. 5, and thereby moves thelever 40 relatively to the member 22 and causes it to move the stapledriver 36 downwardly through the channel 27. As the staple driver 36 isthus moved downwardly itengages the foremost staple of the row 26 anddrives it downwardly through the channel 27 nd into and through the work77,

and drives the free ends of the staple legs against the staple clinchingarms 21 which direct the freeends of the staple legs inwardly andupwardly toward the bottom of the work 77. Following this operation,while the foot lever 59 is being depressed to pivot 53 is thereby movedthe arms 21 and causes them to press the free ends of the staple legs upagainst the bottom of the work 77, thereby completing the setting of thestaple. This done} the foot lever 59 is released, the spring 64 returnsthe toggle-joint 50, the lever 40 and parts operatedthereby to thenormal position, and the lever 74, plate 71 and clinching arms21 returnto the normal position by gravity, for a succeeding staple settingoperation.

The machine is designed to be adjusted to set staples in work ofdifferent thicknesses,

and staples with legs of different lengths are employed to compensatefor the different thicknesses in the work. In stapling work of differentthicknesses the nose 31 is stopped by the top of the work in differenthorizontal planes for the different thicknesses of the work, and thestaple driver is always moved the same distance relatively to thepivoted member 22 for all thicknesses of work. Each stapling operationis completed when the toggle-joint reaches its final position in whichits central pivot 53 is substantially on a straight line which passesthrough its end pivots 54 and 55; therefore, it will be understood thatit will be necessary to adjust the toggle-joint so that. in its normalposition, its two endpivots 54 and 55 will be closer to gether and itscentral .pivot 53 raised to give the proper throw to the lever 40 andmember 22 when the thickness of the work is decreased, and that it willbe necessary to reverse this adjustment when the thickness of the workis increased. For effecting this adjustment. the pivoted arm 56 isprovided, constituting a toggle-joint adjusting arm, which is held atall times against the adjustable head 66 by the spring 64. When it isdesiredto adjust the machine for stapling work of decreased thickness,the head 66 is turned inwardly on the bolt 67 by hand, thereby movingthe arm 56 against the action of the spring 64 to move the toggle-jointpivot 55 toward its pivot 54 and thereby raise its central pivot 53,and, when it is desired to adjust the machine for stapling work ofincreased thickness, the head 66 is turned outwardly on the bolt 67 byhand, thereby permitting the spring 64 to move the togglejoint pivot 55away from its pivot 54, and thereby lower its central pivot 53.

Arranged laterally adjacent and parallel to the staple receiving andguiding bar 25 of the magazine 24 is a bar 78 which is' bars 25 and 78as they are secured to the member 22 by means of screws 79, as shown indetail in Figs. 10, 11, 13 and 14. The holes in the bar 78 through whichthe screws 79 extend are sufficiently large to permit the bar 78 to beset in en gagement with the bar 25, as shown in Figs. 10 and 13, or tobe set in a position spaced therefrom a distance slightly greater thanthe thickness of a staple leg, as shown in Fi 14. The upper corner ofthe forward en of the bar 78 is beveled, at 80, as shown in Figs. 10,11, 13 and 14, for a purpose presently described. \Vhen staples withlegs shorter than the distance between the top of the bar 78 and the topof the bar 25 are used, the bar 78 is set over against the bar 25, asshown in Fig. 10 and 13, and the beveled portion 80 acts as a cam todirect the short staple legs into the channel 27, and, thereafter, theforward end of the bar 78 prevents them from leaving the channel 27until after the lower ends thereof pass the bottom of the bar 78 and aremaintained within the channel 27 by the forward face vof the block 29,as they are driven downwardly within the channel 27 by the staple driver36. When staples with legs longer than the distance between the topofthe bar 78 and the top of the bar 25 are used, the bar 78 is set in aposition spaced from the bar 25, as shown in Fig. 14, to permit the legsof the staples to ass between the fed along the bar 25 to the channel27, and beveled portions 81 of the block 29 act as a cam to direct thelong staple legs into the channel 27.

To support the crown of the staple and prevent the buckling of thestaple legs within the channel 27 during the driving of the staplethrough the work, I provide the following:

Pivoted, at 82, on the front plate 30 of the member 22 is the upper endof an arm or element 83 whose lower end is provided with two spaced,parallel, blade-like parts 84 which enter slots in the blocks 28 and 29and traverse the staple guiding channel 27. The inner ends 85 of theparts 84 are beveled or inclined, as shown in Fig. 11, and the arm orelement 83 is movable on its pivot 82 to move the parts 84 into and fromthe channel 27. The arm 83 and parts 84 are held normally in theposition shown in the drawings by a sprin pressed rod 86 (Fig. 6) havingan arm 87 on the forward end thereof which engages the arm 83. The rod86 is mounted to slide and to turn in suitable bearings on the member22, and it is pressed inwardly by a spring 88 which encircles the rod 86and acts between one of the bearings for the rod and a collar 89 securedon the rod. The arm 87 of the rod 86 rests normally within a groove inthe arm 83 and exerts a yielding inward pressure against the same. Thedistance between the outer lateral surfaces of the parts 84 issubstantially equal to the space between the legs of the staples. Whenthe staples are driven downwardly within the channel 27 the staple legsstraddle the parts 84 and the staple crowns engage the'upper portions ofthe beveled inner ends 85 of the parts 84 before the free ends of thestaple legs enter the work 77 to be stapled; and, thereafter, the staplecrowns, acting against the beveled ends 85 of the parts 84 force themoutwardly from the channel 27, against the action of the spring 88, asthe staples are driven into and through the work 77. It will thus beseen that as the staple legs are driven into and through the work theyare supported substantially throughout their lengths against buckling bythe sides of the parts 84, and that the tops of the parts 84 support thestaple crowns during the driving thereof.

The parts 84 serve to prevent accidental downward displacement of theouter block 28 from its position between the inner block 29 and thefront plate 30; and, by disengaging the arm 87 from the notch in the arm83, and turning the arm 87 and rod 86 on the axis of the rod 86 to movethe arm 87 from its position in front of the arm 83, the arm 83 is freedto permit it to be moved outwardly on its pivot to free the block 28 andpermit its easy removal from the machine for clearing the channel 27 ofdefective or jammed staples.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a staple setting machine, the combination of a supporting frame,staple clinching means supported thereby, a member having a stapleguiding channel and pivoted on the frame to move toward and from theclinching means, a staple driver guided in the member and adapted toco-operate with the clinching means to set a staple, a lever having apivotal movement relative to the frame, means connecting the lever andthe member, means connecting the lever and the staple driver, one ofsaid connecting means being yieldable and permitting the lever to movethe driver relatively to the member, a toggle-joint having one endportion thereof pivotally connected to the frame and the other endportion thereof pivotally connected to the lever, means operable toactuate the toggle-joint first to operate the lever to move the membertoward the clinching means and thereafter to move the staple driver toset a staple, and means operable to vary the distance between thepivoted end portions of the toggle-joint in the normal position thereofto vary the throw of the lever as operated by the toggle-joint actuatingmeans.

2. In a staple setting machine the combination of a supporting frame,staple clinching means supporting thereby, a member having a stapleguiding'channel and pivoted on the frame to move toward and from theclinching means, a staple driver guided in the member andadapted toco-operate with the clinching means to set a staple,ra lever having apivotal movement relative to the frame, means connectingthe leverand themember, means connecting the leveriand the staple driver, .one of saidconnecting, means being yieldable and permittin thelever to movethedriver relatively to tie member, a toggle-joint having one end portionthereof pivotally connected to the frame and the other end portionthereof pivotally connected to the lever, a lever fulcrumedon the frame,and a link connecting the last named lever and the toggle-joint. 7 I v3. In a staple setting machine,.the combination of a supporting frame,staple setting.

mechanism including a staple driver and a lever connected thereto foractuating the same, an arm pivoted to the frame, a togglejoint havingone end portion thereof pivoted to the lever and the other end portionthereof pivoted to the arm, means operable to actuate the toggle andthereby cause-it to operate the lever and staple driver, and meansoperable to adjust the arm to vary the disrection.

tance between the pivoted end portions of the toggle-joint in the normalposition thereof to vary the throw of the lever as operated by thetoggle-joint actuating meansf v l 4. In a staple settingmachine, thecombimechanism including a staple driver and a lever connected theretofor actuating the same, an arm pivoted to the frame, atogglejoint havingone end portion thereof pivoted to the lever andthe other end portionthereof pivoted tothe arm, means operable to actuate the toggle andthereby cause it to operate the lever and staple driver, and meansoperable to adjust the arm to vary the distance between the pivoted endportions of the toggle-joint in the normal position thereof to .vary thethrow of the lever as operated by the toggle-joint actuating means, thelast named means comprising abolt having an adjustable head thereonengaging the arm :for moving it-in one direction and a spring holdingthe arm against the head and arranged to move the arm in the oppositedi- -5. In a staple" nation of a supporting frame, staple settingmechanism including a staple driver'and a toggle-joint for actuatin thesame, a togglejoint adjusting i arm pivoted to the toggle-joint andpivoted to the frame, means operable to set said arm in differentpositions ofad'ustment, a foot lever fulcrumed on the rame,a-linkconnectingthe foot lever and the toggle-joint, and a springconnecting said am and the foot lever and acting to hold the arm againstsaid means clinchin setting machine, the combiy and to hold the footlever yieldingly in its staple clinching means and :fOl moving thestaple driver relatively to the member,

means operated by'the toggle-joint for operating the staple clinchingmeans, and means connected to the toggle-joint and operable to actuatethe same.

'7. In a staple setting machine,the combi-- nation of a supportingframe, a member ivotedon the frame, a staple driver guided by themember, staple clinching means, a toggle-joint, means actuated by'the togle-joint for moving the member toward t e staple clinching means andfor moving the staple driver relatively to the member,-means operated bythe toggle joint for operating the staple clinching means, a foot leverfulcrumed on the frame, and a link connecting thetOggle-joint and thefoot lever, ,5

8. In a staple setting machine, the combi' nation of a supporting frame,staple driving means, staple clinching means, a 'toggleoint, meansactuated by the toggle-joint for operating the.v staple driving means, alever arm fulcrumed co-axially with one of the outer pivots of thetoggle-joint, means actuated by the lever for operating the stapleclinching means, the toggle-joint having a part adapted to engage andactuate the lever arm fulcrumed co-axially with one of the outer pivotsof the toggle-joint, means actuated by the lever for operating thestaple means, the toggle-joint having a art a apted to engage andactuate the ever when the toggle-joint is actuated, a foot leverfnlcrumed on the frame, and a link connecting the toggle-joint and thefoot lever.

10. In a staple setting machine, the combination of a supporting frame,staple setting mechanism including a staple'driwr and a toggle-joint foractuating the same, atogglejoint adjusting armpivoted to the togglejointand pivoted to the frame, a lever-fulcrumed on said arm co-axially withthe pivotconnecting the arm and the tog'le-joint the foot lever and thetoggle-joint, and'a fee - said channel, a staple spring connecting saidarm and the foot lever and acting to hold the arm against said means andto hold the foot lever yieldingly in its normal position.

11. In a staple setting machine, nation of a supporting frame, staplesetting mechanism including a stap e driver and a toggle-joint foractuating the same, staple clinching means, a lever arm fulcrumed c0-axially with one of the outer pivots of the toggle-joint, means actuatedby the lever for operating the staple clinching means, the toggle-jointhaving a part adapted to .engage and actuate the lever when thetogglejoint is actuated, a foot lever fulcrumed on the frame, a linkconnecting the toggle-joint and the foot lever, and a sprin holding thetoggle-joint and the foot lever 11]. the normal position.

12. In a staple setting machine, the combination of a supporting frame,a member having a staple guiding channel therein, a driver operable todrive a staple through guiding bar for receiving and guiding staplesinto said channel, and a. bar laterally adjacent to the first named bararid having a beveled portion for directing the free end of a staple leginto said channel as the driver moves the staple within the channel.

13. In a staple setting machine, the combination of a. member having astaple receiving and guiding channel therein, a driver operable to drivea staple through said channel, an element movably mounted on said memberand having parts movable therewith into and from said channel, saidparts being adapted to extend into said channel between the legs of astaple therein to supthe combi port parts of the staple during thedriving thereof, and a spring ressed, longitudinally movable rod mounteon the member and. having an arm engaging said element and holding thesaid parts thereof yieldingly within said channel, and means to effectthe movement of said parts from within said channel during the drivingof the staple.

14. In a staple setting machine, the combination of a member having astaple receiving and operable to drive a staple through said channel, anelement pivotally mounted on said member and having parts movabletherewith into and from said channel, said parts being adapted to extendinto said channel between the legs of a staple therein to support partsof the staple'during the driving thereof, a spring pressed rod mountedon said member to move longitudinally and to turn, an arm extendinglaterally from the rod and engaging said element and holding the partsthereof yieldin ly within said channel during the drivin o the staple.

15. n a staple setting machine, the combination of a supporting frame,staple clinching arms pivoted in said frame, a member having a channeltherein for guiding a staple toward said arms, a driver operable todrive a staple through said channel, means operable to actuate said armsto clinch a staple, said frame having laterally extending lugs providedwith horizontal top surfaces, a work supporting table having partsprovided with horizontal bottom surfaces seated on said top surfaces,and means to detachably secure said table and said frame together.

ELWOOD H. MICHENER.

guiding channel therein, a driver 1

